When Lyra McCauley learns residents of
Dragonspeir’s Alliance are suffering with a deadly plague, she doesn’t heed the
warnings of her fiancé, wizard Cullen Drake, to remain safe in her human world.
After all, she’s the present Scribe—one of five strong women in her ancestry
who possessed unique magic, each destined to protect the Alliance against the
evil Black Dragon of the Dark Realm. With Cullen dependent upon Alliance power
to maintain his immortality, the stakes are doubled for Lyra.

She leaves her college teaching and puts
herself at risk for the community afflicted by black magic. To find a cure, she
and Cullen travel into the vile, lawless underworld of Terza to strike a
bargain with an expert. Their efforts further enrage the Black Dragon, vowing
to decimate the Alliance and avenge the murder of his heir.

Lyra must secure the three lost volumes of
the Book of Dragonspeir. Written by
the three earliest Scribes, each book contains energy. Possession of the entire
set will enable overthrow of the Dark Realm. Following clues into dangerous
lands, Lyra and Cullen seek those volumes. His assistants, Kenzo the tiger owl
and Noba the pseudodragon, prove invaluable aids. Only if they succeed, will
the Alliance be safe and Lyra reach closer to the immortality she needs to live
a life with Cullen.

. . . . . . . .

Author Quiz interviews Marsha A. Moore...

Is there anything about you or your writing that makes you unique from other authors?
I get a lot of positive and amazed comments about my imagination, usually, “Where do you get these ideas?” or “You are talented storyteller,” or “How do you drive with all these wild ideas in your head?” I honestly have no idea—it’s just me and how I think. I see odd stuff in nature, like portals and strange creatures. I’ve been this way as long as I can remember. It does make for some great tales though!

The best thing is being totally in control of
your creation, and realizing that words have limitless potential. The
worst thing is that the work is never quite finished. No matter how many
times you go over the text, you will always find something to correct or
improve. This is especially troublesome after you have published the
thing, and wake up at 3 a.m. to tell yourself, “That would have been so
much better/funnier/more poignant than what I wrote! Stupid, stupid,
stupid!”

What is it about your
usual genre that appeals to you most as a writer?

Science
fiction is like philosophy in 3-D. You can take any social issue, moral
dilemma, or spiritual insight and expand it to the size of the cosmos. It
is also the ideal format for satire, since the macrocosm equals the microcosm
and vice versa. The analogies and symmetries provided by mankind, nature
and the universe are inexhaustible.

A. L. Gengler creates poetry and writes short stories under the byline Mark Brandon Allen. He began writing Science Fiction and Fantasy purely for the amusement of his friends, children and grandchildren. His extended family includes eight children, eleven grandchildren, two great grandchildren and one vicious three pound Yorkshire terrier who holds both he and his wife hostage in Valparaiso Indiana.His work has been published in print, on the pages of Demon Minds Anthology, Bull Spec, The Last Man Anthology, Sounds Of The Night, Indiana Science Fiction, Polluto, WordPlay -The Story Behind The Story and Christmas Angles Anthology. Online, e-zines including The 5th D, Pedestal Magazine, Everyday Weirdness, Underneath The Juniper Tree and Matters Most Extraordinary have showcased his work. Podcasts of his work have been read on Sciphi Journal, Cast Macabre, Anthro Dreams and Cast of Wonders.

. . . . . . . .

Author Quiz interviews Mark Brandon Allen...

If you had to sum up your book,"ifs Imagine Fantasy Science Fiction," in three words, what would they be?
Short Stories, Poetry.

What are you working on now and what projects and ideas do you have lined up next?
In a departure from working on several short science fiction stories that are in development, I am working on a novel titled "On The River Dark."

Sean Yeager and the DNA Thief is the
first book in the Sean Yeager series.

Author Quiz interviews D.M. Jarrett...

What
are you working on now and what projects and ideas do you have lined up next?

I’m currently writing the follow-up to ‘The
DNA Thief’, which will be called ‘Hunters Hunted’. I’m about halfway through at
the time of writing and it’s planned for a 2013 release. Hunters Hunted builds
on the themes and events of The DNA Thief while also being a self-contained
story. My aim is to explore the worlds of Sean Yeager and his companions more
with each story. The overall ‘grand story arc’ is something else I’m constantly
working on as the action ramps up with each adventure. It’s becoming pretty big
in all respects.

Besides this I have some ideas for an adult
/ young adult piece that I’m sketching out. It would be a dark comedy thriller
if it grows legs and takes-off.

What
came first, the idea for your first book or the decision to write a book?

Actually the spur to write the first book
was a set of short stories I wrote which some children we know really liked. It
was their enthusiasm and the directions their imaginations took the characters
that made me think ‘I can really do something with this’. I expanded and
re-pitched the themes for a broader and older audience and presto Sean Yeager
was born.

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

She was kidnapped not once but twice and
now someone wants her dead because of it....

Her life was a lie!

Bailey knew her upbringing wasn’t normal
but she’s worked hard to stabilize her life. At 29, she finally has a good
business, a stable home; her life is miles from that of her childhood. Then
suddenly her mother dies, leaving a gaping hole and a discovery that they may not
even be related. If Guy, the private investigator is to be believed, her life
is a lie. Using the skills she learned on the streets, Bailey travels back
through a sketchy and dangerous past, to find answers. Dodging bullets, staying
ahead of those who want her dead and convincing Guy she can do it alone, are
making it difficult to discover not only the secrets of her mother’s past but
that of a family claiming she is theirs.

Everyone seems to have a story... but who’s
telling the truth? And who wants her dead? Is Guy part of the solution? Or part
of the problem? To discover the facts, she’ll have to untangle a web of deceit,
lies, and secrets, dating back over thirty years.

But can she do it in time.....

. . . . . . . .

Author Quiz interviews Maggie Thom…

Do
you ever feel yourself becoming quite emotional when writing a particularly
intense scene and is there a specific passage in particular where this was the
case?

Yes. I often get emotional when writing
certain scenes. In Captured Lies, the scene where Bailey is standing at the
gravesite of her mom while the minister is doing the service, was very
emotional for me. Bailey is berating herself for the poor relationship she had
with her mother and questions why she didn't do something to fix their relationship
before it was too late. Too often we live with regrets. This was more emotional
for me as my father passed away while I was writing Captured Lies.

Set in a fictional New
England town, follow the lives of three families; The Greens, the
Braxtons, and the Reynolds.

The Greens:

* Widowed matriarch Charlotte never thought
she could find love again after the death of her husband Michael, until
handsome Detective Bryant comes to her rescue.

* Youngest son Peter returns home from
college with his new girlfriend, who's ten years older than him, and is a
problem for Mama Charlotte.

* Scott and Alicia are singing siblings who
are on their way to the top, until tragedy strikes one night.

The Braxtons:

* Andrew Braxton is a ruthless and powerful
businessman who runs his household the same way he runs his company, with an
iron fist. Upon learning his son Wayne
plans on abandoning the family company, he'll do everything in his heart to
stop him from leaving.

The Reynolds:

* After the divorce Laura Reynolds and her
daughter Megan move back home with her father, where she plans to start life
anew, but little does she know that it's not easy to escape your past.

Join
them and other characters as they experience love, heartache, and ups and downs
in their everyday lives.

. . . . . . . .

Author Quiz interviews Carol Cassada…

Do
you ever feel yourself becoming quite emotional when writing a particularly
intense scene and is there a specific passage in particular where this was the
case?

Sometimes I do get emotional when writing
scenes because in that moment I’m experiencing what’s happening with the characters
and as a writer you feel the pain or hurt they’re going through.One particular scene in which I got emotional
happened in Westmore: The Aftermath. Charlotte’s
daughter, Alicia is seriously injured in a car accident and lapses into a coma,
and doctors offer little hope in her chances of survival. When Charlotte learns of the news she goes into
her daughter’s room and breaks down at her bedside.

Everything
about Andy is too good to be true, so what is his secret? Has Joan really got
everything that a woman could possibly wish for? Cathy is in no mood for the
attentions of a cocktail -bar-Romeo, and it looks as if he’s about to turn
nasty! What on earth is it that Gina’s boyfriend wants her to do to make him
happy? Just what is included for Becky in this supermarket’s not to be missed
special offer? Is Alison going to simply stand by while another woman walks
away with her hard-won prize? How can Julia’s husband Harry possibly hope to
compete with all those other candidates who have applied for The Job to die
for? Paul is always putting her down and Living In The Country would be Ali’s
idea of heaven if only she could get rid of him. But how? Here are eight
carefully crafted stories designed to surprise and entertain you, the reader,
and at the end to have you say, ‘well, I’ll be……! I never saw that coming!’

This is the
first in a four volume series of stories, each with an amazing twist at the
end.

Author Quiz
interviews John M W Smith…

What is it that
you love most about writing?

What I love most
about writing is that for me, it is an escape into worlds far more interesting
than the one I can expect in my daily life. In these worlds I am able to meet
fascinating people with unusual characters, travel to distant places (there
was, and is, a 1970s rock band called The Moody Blues, and a line in one of
their songs goes "thinking is the best way to travel”. This is so true!).
Without my writing I would literally wither away and die---so boring would I
find the tedium of everyday life. Writing is a drug that affords escape and
unleashes creativity without any harmful side effects, and I'm addicted to it.
I only feel truly alive when I'm writing. Without it I grow short tempered,
irritable, and depressed. For me there is no greater pleasure than to finish,
to my complete satisfaction, a piece of writing. The buzz I get is huge, the
sense of elation and accomplishment beyond compare! It is no exaggeration to
say a writer feels Godlike in his or her ability to create worlds, characters,
creatures, scenarios and landscapes at will, of outstanding complexity and
simple beauty, that will make the reader gasp with pleasure, and leave him/her
in a state of wonder and speculation for many hours or days. Any soon-forgotten
or boring piece of writing is no good to anyone--- you might as well go out and
wash the car!

Wednesday, 21 November 2012

Since Author Quiz launched a couple of months ago, several authors have submitted interviews so it’s been great to see the concept getting support from the indie author community.In recent weeks in particular I’ve received a sudden rush of interviews so as things stand there’s currently a backlog of approximately four weeks for any new interviews to be published.

I’m mentioning this not to deter other authors from submitting their own interviews (I always enjoy receiving new interviews), but as an author myself I know that it can be helpful to have a timescale for promotional opportunities.I therefore thought it would be useful to mention the current Author Quiz waiting list for the benefit of any authors who like to plan ahead.

Friday, 16 November 2012

Christopher Carter Sanderson is the author of 1000, A Novel
In Tweets, tweeting now on Twitter (@1000thenovel).

. . . . . . . .

Author Quiz interviews Christopher Carter Sanderson…

Is there anything
about you or your writing that makes you unique from other authors?

Yes, my novel 1000, A Novel In Tweets is just that: 1000
tweets of exactly 140 characters each. It is being published on Twitter
@1000thenovel and, as of November 4, 2012 it will pass the halfway mark.

Other unique things about it include that it is the second
in a series of five works that all follow the same narrative. The first was 79 short
fictions of 79 words each set in 1979, thus its title 79/79/’79. The third is a
traditional novel, the fourth a garland of Fibonacci sonnets, and the fifth is
a mega-novel.

As for me, I’m just your average guy, and have a couple of
titles published — a non-fiction book from Routledge and a dramatic adaptation.
Two of my musicals have been produced successfully in New York City.

Where did the
inspiration for your latest novel, 1000, A Novel In Tweets come from?

It is a fairly straight-forward fictionalization of events
in my life that even I have trouble believing happened. They’ve been compressed
and embroidered appropriately, and nothing is completely lifted in tact from
life. The fact that so many of the people I first met in High School went on to
be so wonderful and famous after such completely screwed up teenage years was
an inspiration. I think Truman Capote said, “all fiction is gossip.”

When it seems that all is lost, and you have no hope, Misplaced Loyalty can be fatal.

Detective Patsy Hodge leaves her old life behind, and transfers to Bristol and a new job with the CID. Wanting to make her mark as a female detective she attends a suspicious death with her new boss; straight talking, no nonsense Detective Inspector John Meredith. Within days the body count begins to rise, as victims old and new are discovered to have died in the same way. Some could say the victims were merely party to assisted suicide, others may call it euthanasia, and many believe that either way it shouldn’t be classed as a crime; but when it becomes evident that some of the victims were forced to accept a lethal injection, DI Meredith launches a major murder investigation which covers a period of over twenty years.

As more victims are discovered, and the investigation gathers pace, someone takes an unhealthy interest in Patsy. Their motive moves from irritating to sinister when her life is threatened. But just how serious is that threat? Despite being surrounded by police officers the case takes precedent, and Patsy even considers using the services of a private detective, who just happens to be friend and former boss of John Meredith. It’s far from clear if this development is connected to the case, Meredith, or perhaps both. With ill feeling developing within the team, the motives of colleagues working on the case are brought into question.

. . . . . . . .

Author Quiz interviews Marcia Kim Turner…

What are you working on now, what projects ideas do you have lined up next?

I am currently writing the second in the Meredith & Hodge series, Ill Conceived.I am about half way through and enjoying working with the characters again.When I finished Misplaced Loyalty I was overjoyed and have to confess that I did a little jig in front of the laptop, sad but true.During the next week however I found was missing the characters having spent so much time with them.I'm fine now.I am also editing the first novel I ever completed which had a working title of 'chiclitwhodunitfarce' but when ready will be published as Murder & Moet.As the working title suggests it is a light hearted murder mystery, and set in my favourite Cornish hotel although I have of course changed the name to avoid tarnishing their reputation.

What is it you love most about writing?
Creating believable characters.

Where did the inspiration for your novel, Three Thousand Days and Nights, come from?
Three Thousand Days and Nights was inspired by reading histories of the French and Indian War.

If your book, Three Thousand Days and Nights, was made into a movie who would you want to play the main character and why?
I'd want Matt Damon to play the role of Langdon Burke (in 3-K
aka for title), since he possesses the quiet strength of that character.

Saturday, 20 October 2012

Two months after Liam MacAskill’s return to Earth from Tridor Monastery, a portal opens in Orion’s Nebula, and a continent-sized spaceship emerges. It heads for Earth, where it hovers over Africa. Shortly thereafter, a second alien species comes through the portal. Then impossibility becomes reality – the second species steals Earth’s sun.

The first species, the T’Acan – or Harvesters, as some call them – seem friendly enough, but Liam suspects they are omitting something about their reasons for visiting Earth, which seem lame to him. It doesn’t take Liam long to discover what… They have to be stopped, but how to stop an invincible enemy?

Air force and military attacks have no effect on the T’Acan spaceship, but Earth has a secret defence not even the military are aware of – a powerful weapon that harnesses ley line energy, kept hidden by warrior monks since humanity’s beginnings. It could save Earth when even nuclear weapons would fail… but will it be enough to drive the T’Acan harvesters away, and will the untested weapon work the way they hope?

As Liam races against time to warn Arthean that Tridor’s Earth may be in the same danger, even he isn’t sure he’ll make it in time.

. . . . . . . .

Author Quiz interviews Vanessa Finaughty...

What is it you love most about writing?

The way it frees me of this stress-filled, unjust world to put me in a more magical world in which justice and righteousness prevail.

When you first get the idea for a new story, do you find that the finished product tends to differ quite significantly from your original idea, or does the original idea remain more or less intact?

I usually start off with one scene that’s vivid in my head and it just flows from there. I tend to have a general overall idea of the story, but my characters lead it, so honestly, if I want to know what happens next in the story, I have to write it first.

For over four millennia the Great Pyramid of Giza has guarded a secret image; until NOW!

The Great Pyramid of Giza, unlike most ancient Egyptian monuments, lacks one conspicuous feature: hieroglyphs. So when, for the first time in over four thousand years, a prominent young Egyptologist discovers the first engraving inside the Great Pyramid, why is he murdered by a senior colleague? The authorities are keen to cover it up, but they know they can’t achieve total closure whilst English robotics engineer, Ben Anderson, remains in possession of a powerful image. An image, which suggests the Great Pyramid at Giza was not built by ancient Egyptians.

What the Egyptian authorities don’t know is that unless the true meaning behind the image can be established, along with other images which will later surface, the future of mankind will face the most serious threat imaginable. Anderson manages to escape Egypt at the earliest opportunity, together with his astrophysicist girlfriend, Samantha Gibson, but the authorities are quickly on their tail when it becomes evident they have arrested the wrong person.

Keen to establish who really built the Pyramids, Anderson seeks to gain additional proof to support his theory. As he and Gibson begin to discover a series of seemingly disparate clues, they soon realise that everything is far from straightforward. Whilst seeking additional resources, Gibson is unwittingly embroiled in the internal politics of the US military, with the result that she becomes a pawn in a vicious power struggle involving a corrupt senior officer. Her path crosses that of an ex-lover and her relationship with Anderson stretches to breaking point.

As Anderson begins to see Gibson from a totally different perspective, his focus changes, and he pushes himself well beyond the limits of his comfort zone in an attempt to discover the truth. Gibson is now prepared to do anything to fulfil a lifetime ambition, but as her objective becomes almost within her grasp a virulent virus threatens to stop her . . . and Anderson has the antidote . . . together with a totally different agenda. And so an unprecedented race begins to finally reveal the true legacy of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The Pyramid Legacy is a thriller, but also has a story of love and deceit deeply woven in.

Why does Emperor Victor Sinclair fall madly in love with Lady Felicia Sorensen?She is a High Royal lady scientist in a heavily patriarchal society, and the Emperor has only dated socialites who see him as an icon and a prize.Felicia's intellect and capacity to see him as a man with more than sexual needs instantly inspires Victor to want to make her his Empress, for he needs true love and support, not a lady who will be a burden upon his time and energy.

Although he entices her with all the resources at his command, from sexual stimulation and outrageously expensive gowns to promising she can 'write her own job description', Felicia cautiously learns the differences between love and manipulation.And, after an interplanetary invasion and being censured by a ducal panel, all due to one of her inventions, she must choose between toughing out the extreme social and political pressures of a high elevation, and pursuing her scientific achievements. Victor finds a way for Felicia to do them both!

. . . . . . . .

Author Quiz Interviews Eva Caye...

AQ: Do you ever feel yourself becoming quite emotional when writing a particularly intense scene, and is there a specific passage in particular where this was the case?

Eva: I don’t get emotional at first.I write the actions in the rough draft, but when I do rewrites, I put myself into the head of the character and ‘feel’ their emotions, then I click my way through thesaurus entries to pick exactly the right words I (they) feel.At that point, I can get pretty emotional.I most often get emotional when selecting the last line of the book.For some reason, writing (even reading!) the last line makes me cry!

A hired killer is paid to track down a rebellious member of a Mexicali drug cartel. The search takes place in The In-Ko-Pah Mountains, an isolated region on the Mexican/American Border, and leads to a confrontation with a sinister presence.

An introduction from Wally Runnels...

I’m an ex advertising creative and the intuitive process that writing requires is very exciting.

Creation and invention is a big part of the writing process. Logic is needed to balance and suggest to the reader that what they are reading is possible. Even though we all know it isn’t, especially when addressing paranormal events.

The writer must find ways to make a seamless bridge between reality and the supernatural to make a story more frightening.

I get deep into gnarly characters that are interesting to read but not someone you’d invite home to dinner.

If I had to sum up The In-Ko-Pah Spirit, I’d say it was weird, scary and adventurous.

What are you working on now and what projects and ideas do you have lined up next?
I just published my first digital book for Kindle, Crossroads, and I’m currently working on converting my first published novel, Cold Heart into digital format. Over the next year or so I hope to get all my backlist uploaded so that a whole new world of readers can enjoy them and I can continue to make a living. And of course I’m always writing. Right now I’m working on a Steam Punk series.

If you were to write a novel outside your usual genre, which genre would you like to experiment with and why?
Well this falls back to my last sentence. For years I wrote (and still do write) paranormal suspense thrillers. But a couple of years ago my agent, Peter Rubie of Fine Print Literary Management, suggested that I do something with all the reading I’ve done over the years on Winston Churchill. Everything that can be written about the man has been written, however, so I decided instead to write a novel about a Churchill-like character who is caught up not in the Industrial Revolution but a magical revolution from nature magic to technomagic. That led me to a backstory of how the empire came about and I began a prequel series I liken to a cross between Shogun and Waterworld.

Author Quiz on Bloggers.com

About Me

Charles Fudgemuffin is the author of the critically acclaimed 'Remember to put the bins out' note. Other less notable works include the alien comedy 'How To Save The World' books, and the free short story 'Small Pots Also Have Ears'.